Sunday, December 12, 2010

Old Classroom Pictures

I was going through some pictures and found these of my old 2nd grade class. The school I used to be at is only about 8 or 9 years old so the rooms were huge and had tons of storage. Now I am at an old school and teaching in a bungalow with NO storage. Anyways, thought I'd share...

Here is the classroom entrance.

This is a view of most of the classroom. On the other side of those windows are back offices for my room and 2 others. I miss my back office.

This was my behavior board. Just a simple card pocket chart.

My writing wall - the kids made little Corduroy bears after we read the story and I thought they were so cute that I just couldn't send them home. I had to put them on display for the year.

This is the writing area for workshop. (In case you are wondering - my district requires us to ONLY put up perfect work. We all know that is impossible. The loophole? Stick up a "Work in Progress" sign and ta daaaa!)

Self Explanatory

We use Step Up to Writing. This is earlier in the year when they are just using a basic paragraph template. Oh, and my classroom clock is actually on the wall above the front board so I can't see it when I am using the docu-cam so I slapped this little guy on the back wall, and now we are never late for dismissal. Like that was ever a problem... haha.

I loved my math focus wall. My students used it ALLLL the time. The pocket chart was for workshop. If anyone would like some of the vocab posters I made, just comment below with your email and I'll be happy to send them to you.

Here is another view of just the math workshop pocket chart. Under it are all of the workshop materials. The games are from my favorite... Teacher Treasures. Every year I go to her seminars at the CTA conference... even though they don't change much. She is just such an amazing speaker and has the best ideas. I am always excited about teaching when I leave her seminars. Oh, and the games are so easy to make. Cut and laminate and throw in a bag. D-O-N-E!

For each unit, we had a different theme and obviously a different fluency goal. I would write the names of the students that passed on the sheets and post them up on this bookcase (mostly to hide the junk behind there. hehe) The notebooks are part of the Imagine It! (the newer Open Court)

Part of the reading area. That wall actually slides open, connecting the rooms.

Another view of the reading area.

This was for math fact fluency. They took tests on the computer and each time they passed a level, they got an ice cream scoop to decorate.

A figurative language project we did to go with "How the Guinea Fowl Got Her Spots". Oh, and another Work In Progress sign.... just in case ;)

close up. Look at those lion's eyes... and apparently I am working these kids too hard at PE? lol.

George Washington Directive Cutting project and writing.

comment with an email for the directions to this and writing template

Cat in the Hat acrostic poems.

Science Projects.

Listening Area - if you can hang your headphones on hooks like this, it will make your life so much easier.

Make one of these! It will help your students sooo much! We brainstormed a list of words that are in the beginning of question sentences. I thought they got them all, but noooo ...

as the year went on we found 4 more!

A little magnet game area.

They would do rainbow words or stamp vocabulary and display them on this wall with magnets.

What teacher doesn't love highlighter tape? I made these sentence strips and then the kids would use highlighter tape to mark their answers. Later in the year I found the Correct a Sentence Pocket Chart Kit and it saved me a ton of time! Click here for that.

Reading Focus Wall - We used Open Court so that's what all of this is.

Fish Sticks. Get it? The kiddos love these and I just peel off the letters at the end of the year and change them out with my new students so I don't have to keep making new ones. Or if I'm really lucky, my new students have the same names as my old ones! I just taped two popsicle sticks together, painted them, and used some foam fish stickers.

Here they are thrown into their fish bowl.

Workshop

mailboxes and daily copies

math Fruit Loop graphing

Concept/Question board for the Courage Unit

Vocabulary Word Bank - students took turns creating sentences. One student would write a word, another would come up and add a word, and another, until the vocabulary word was used correctly.

Calendar and Phone Wall

Food Pyramids and our breakfast table

Hope you were able to get some ideas! If you have any questions or requests for things, please leave a comment. Happy Sunday!

33 comments:

Just came across your blog and I ABSOLUTELY love it! I am also a second grade teacher, and I already got several ideas just from this post! Would you mind emailing me your math vocabulary cards? My email is lacey.thornton@murray.k12.ga.us. Thank you so much!

I have fallen in love with your blog, too! Would you mind also emailing me a copy of your George Washington Directive Cutting project directions and template? Did you have a template or something similar for your Cat in the Hat, too? My email is sbrenner2388@yahoo.com. Thanks so much!

Hi! your blog is great! So many great ideas! I love your math vocab cards. Can you email them to me? Also, can you share the directions for the cat in the hat? My email is vmriojas@yahoo.comThank you!Vanessa

I would love to have copies of all of your vocab posters and George Washington directions. In fact, would love copies of any of the things you have that are posted. I am new teacher and would love any of it... It would be very beneficial. Thanks in advance.tammyricheson@yahoo.com

Love your blog! I would love the George Washington and Cat in the Hat directions. I will probably be asking for more! I love getting and using new ideas! Thanks for all you do!Roserosemariebushong@gmail.com

I just found your blog---thank you for the great ideas!! I would love a copy of the George Washington and Cat in the Hat projects. My email is ledwards9801@sbcglobal.net. Thank you for the great ideas.Lee

I would love love love the math vocabulary card and anything else that you would be willing to give! I am new to second grade this year, coming from 5th! I am so so excited, but a little lost on where to start :) Katelyn.Howell13@EKU.EDU THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Hi, I love your blog. I've been teaching second grade for a long time but looking for new, fresh ideas. Would you mind sending me the math vocabulary cards, George Washington, and the Cat in the Hat? Thanks! strainingm@gmail.com